Nikushimi Shinden
The Temple of Hatred was one of the dojo of the Tsuno Bushi Way of the Samurai, p. 88 and training center of the Tsuno Ravagers. Secrets of the Shadowlands, p. 40 Founding Nikushimi Shinden appeared in the Shadowlands when the Tsuno allied themselves with Daigotsu, at the same time that Toguchi Shinden. As ancient as the dojo of the Tsuno Soultwisters, it was created by the Tsuno hundreds of years before Volturnum, Oblivion's Gate, or any of the other ancient races' extant relics. Secrets of the Shadowlands, pp. 38, 40 Appearance An enormous building of more than 200 feet tall sat in the center, bristling with spikes and towers to defend the temple complex. Around the temple were barracks for troops and the foundries that forged the powerful Tsuno Blades. Special quarters were set aside for visiting elder Tsuno, for the Master Sensei, and for the Tsuno House Guard. Inner chambers housed the few resident Tsuno Soultwisters. Depicting Tsuno History Tsuno warriors were massive horned beasts were nearly twice as tall as humans, and notorious for their lightning raids. They stroke without warning and disappeared just as fast. They had fought beside the Onisu that killed Emperor Toturi I and organized the raid on the Kitsu Tombs of the Lion Clan. This ability to organize combined with their savagery and power made them a strong threat to the Empire. Deep in the Shadowlands they trained young Tsuno to become warriors, preparing them to strike against their human foes. The Temple of Hatred was the largest of these schools, and although it had only been in the Shadowlands for a short time it's large commanding presence made it seem like it had been a part of it's surroundings for countless ages. The walls of the temple were covered in the strange carvings of the Tsuno cuneiform language, depicting famous Tsuno warriors of the past. Tradition The Tsuno had a warrior tradition as strong as that of any of the Great Clans. They considered themselves to be more honorable than the humans. The Tsuno had a distinct pecking order, and treated those lower down on that order little better than animals. They were vicious and cruel in combat, as their weapons and combat styles were designed to inflict as much pain as possible. Sometimes they chose to leave their enemies horribly disfigured rather than killing them. To the Tsuno bearing pain was a sign of great strength, and thus inflicting a huge pain on an enemy and letting them live was a noble gesture. The Tsuno had an intense hatred for humans, and considered them animals that needed to be exterminated. This hatred was most focused against the Lion Clan or anyone associated with Toturi I. Even their allies among the Lost were looked upon with disdain, and Tsuno would prefer the company of ogres and trolls above them. The sole exception to this was Daigotsu, whom the Tsuno treated with a respect and reverence often reserved for divine beings. Training Tsuno training was harsh, and they were given real weapons on their first day of training. Not all practice duels were to the death, but all still used lethal weapons. Injury was common, and those who were injured so badly they could not fight were expected to destroy themselves in a ceremony similar to seppuku in Rokugan. Tsuno were often left in harsh areas of the Shadowlands in packs, and expected to survive through teamwork and interdependance. These pack members became fiercely loyal to eachother, to the point where they could read eachothers minds and shared eachothers pain. Or so rumour had it. While the truth of this was only known to the Tsuno, it had been observed that they would gladly sacrifice their lives for other pack members. Pack members would also never left the corpse of a fallen member on the battlefield. The corpse of a dead Tsuno could be reanimated by Tsuno Soultwisters if the corpse was complete. Elite Troops Their elite troops were known as the Tsuno Ravagers. They were not made, but born, and were the natural leaders of the Tsuno packs. Occasionally a Tsuno chieftain would order an entire pack of Ravagers to train together, creating the elite units such as the one that was responsible for the raid on the Kitsu Tombs. Way of the Samurai, p. 89 Sensei The dojo was always led by an elderly Ravager, who was too old to effectively fight anymore, but too wise for his experience to be wasted. They were expected to be mercyless in training. Notable Sensei * Tsuno Kizuato Notable Students * Tsuno Kurushimi Category:Shadowlands Dojo Category:Tsuno